workplace

new study seeks to improve workplace mental health for indigenous workers

thunder bay, ont. - a new study will bring together members of the nokiiwin tribal council and researchers from 阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 to address a pressing need for tailored mental health interventions for indigenous workers in northwestern ontario. the study is receiving $1.97 million in funding from the canadian institutes of health research (cihr).

“indigenous individuals are less likely to seek help for mental health and accordingly have rates of suicide at least twice as high as non-indigenous counterparts,” explained dr. vicki kristman, principal investigator and the director of enhancing the prevention of injury & disability at work (epid@work) and the ontario research chair in injury and disability prevention at lakehead.

in a recent study supported by cihr, kristman and her team evaluated the wiiji app, an e-mental health tool designed to support indigenous workers dealing with challenging work environments. although the research team found that the app provided valuable assistance to some workers, they determined a more effective approach would be to create long-term changes within workplaces themselves to offer more impactful and sustainable improvements to mental health.

“by changing workplace environments to better support indigenous mental health, we can increase participation in employment, reduce work-related disabilities, and improve overall well-being in indigenous communities,” kristman added.

over the next five years, kristman’s research team will work alongside tribal council members to identify workplace factors that contribute to mental health challenges for indigenous workers and propose actionable interventions. the findings will help nokiiwin serve their employer clients better, and support the tribal council as they work to establish an indigenous-specific health and safety association within ontario.

"as we strive to create a supportive and inclusive workplace, through our work together [epid@work and nokiiwin], we are reaching a greater understanding on the role that workplaces play in providing support and appropriate resources to employees who may be experiencing mental health issues,” stated audrey gilbeau, executive director and governance advisor at nokiiwin tribal council. “acknowledging these challenges not only fosters understanding and compassion among colleagues, but also empowers individuals to seek the support they need to thrive. together, we can build a culture of care that prioritizes mental well-being and strengthens our community as a whole.”

improving workplace mental health for indigenous workers has far-reaching benefits. by supporting indigenous workers, employers can boost productivity, reduce absenteeism, and foster a healthier workforce. the anticipated improvements in mental health and employment participation will also ripple out to benefit indigenous families, communities, and the broader economy.

in 2023/24, 阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 received more than $2 million in assistance from the research support fund to support the indirect costs of research, which includes costs for supporting the management of intellectual property, research and administration, ethics and regulatory compliance, research resources, research facilities, and research security.

keywords:

cihr

canadian institutes of health research

vicki kristman

indigenous mental health

mental health

workplace

workplace wellness

workplace violence

ohsa defines workplace violence as the use of physical force by a person against a worker in a workplace, causing physical harm. it includes the attempt to exercise physical force, statement or threat that another worker may interpret as a threat of physical harm. some examples of such behaviour are but are not limited to:

verbal threat
threat note
showing actions of physical violence like a fist
wielding a weapon to work
attempting to hit a person
throwing an object
sexual violence against a worker
display of aggression

accidental violence

accidental pushing or tripping are not considered to be workplace violence. but, if a person comes under threat or attempt of the threat of violence even if the intent was not there, it is still considered workplace violence. for example, two 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 fighting at 阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 caused one of the security guards to get injured. this injury is considered workplace violence, and employers and supervisors must assess the risks of workplace violence and establish procedures and measures to protect the workers.

sexual violence

sexual violence is a workplace hazard that refers to any sexual act, attempt to obtain a sexual act, or other act directed against a worker's sexuality using coercion by any person regardless of their relationship to the victim, in a workplace or work-related setting.

阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 provides support and information to all sexual survivors about sexual violence, prevention, and response. therefore, supervisors are encouraged to visit the sexual violence support and response page to familiarize themselves with the steps involved in the prevention and support process of victims of sexual violence at the workplace.

domestic violence

domestic violence is when a person has a relationship with another (such as a spouse or a family member), and they attempt, threaten, or physically harm the other. when this attempt, threat, or physical harm is evident at the workplace, it becomes workplace violence.

it is a good practice for supervisors to identify and analyze the warning signs of an abused worker, which includes the following:

• social withdrawal from co-workers

• bruises or physical complaints that show signs of assault (and that the worker tries to hide)

• crying or outbursts of anger when on the phone

• frequent personal calls that leave the worker upset

• insensitive or insulting messages from a partner or former partner

• disruptive personal visits to the workplace by present or former partner

• reduced productivity, decline in job performance and lack of concentration, and errors

• last minute excuses for cancellations

• uncharacteristic absenteeism and tardiness

• increased use of drugs or alcohol to cope.

extra resources: domestic violence in the workplace: breaking the silence

duties of supervisor regarding workplace violence

according to ohsa, all supervisors are workers. therefore, they are obligated to follow the rules for both workers and supervisors. ohsa states:

all workers should be aware of the employer's workplace violence policy and program. workers should:

know how to summon immediate assistance
know how to report incidents of workplace violence to the employer or supervisor
know how the employer will investigate and deal with incidents, threats or complaints
know, understand and be able to carry out the measures and procedures that are in place to protect them from workplace violence
be able to carry out any other procedures that are part of the program

in addition to the duties above, supervisors may need additional information or instruction, especially if they will follow up on reported incidents or complaints of workplace violence. for example, supervisors may need to know how to respond sensitively to incidents or complaints of workplace violence, which in some cases could include sexual violence.

阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 has a strict policy regarding the safety of its involved workplace parties. when a threat of violence is identified supervisor, with the help of management, shall investigate immediately after a report is made. supervisors are asked to familiarize themselves with the workplace violence policy of 阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 regarding the steps that need to be followed in case of any violence at work.

training will be provided for all 阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 supervisors periodically and reasonably. this training will provide workplace violence prevention strategies, including conflict resolution, listening and communication skills, identifying problematic behaviour characteristics, anger management, and any other topic deemed necessary.

阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 offers a great deal of support when considering

workplace harassment

the ohsa defines workplace harassment as an inappropriate and vexatious comment or conduct in a workplace against a worker where the course of the comment or conduct is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome based on all types of harassment prohibited under the ontario human rights code. workplace harassment may also be a behaviour that intimidates, isolates, and discriminates against targeted individual/s.

relevant articles

harassment in canadian workplaces by darcy hango and melissa moyser is a great source of information with statistics.

verbal harassment

verbal harassment refers to harsh unwanted language, including but not limited to ongoing demeaning, intimidating, offending and/or ridiculous remarks, jokes, profanity, and/or innuendos against a worker.

psychological harassment

psychological harassment is similar to verbal harassment, but it is more covert and consists of exclusionary tactics like withholding information. psychological harassment usually intends to mentally break down the victim chipping their self-esteem and undermining them. it is the hardest form of harassment to identify.

digital harassment (cyberbullying)

refers to online forms of harassment through social media outlets which can be just as much detrimental as the normal form of bullying. for example, demeaning comments on social media, creating a webpage that belittles the intending worker and making false allegations. this harassment is possible because social media is now common in the workplace more than ever before. in addition, the worker who is harassing others tends to be braver on social media, which furthers the need to report.

physical harassment

physical harassment is when a worker makes inappropriate physical contact with another worker. physical harassment in the worker may be considered workplace violence, depending on the severity of the incident. for example, but not limited to:

displaying or circulating offensive pictures of a target individual
bullying
offensive or intimidating phone calls or emails
workplace sexual harassment

sexual harassment

the ohsa defines workplace sexual harassment as:

engaging in the course of vexatious comment or conduct against a worker in a workplace because of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, where the course of comment or conduct is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome
making a sexual solicitation or advance where the person making it is able to confer, grant or deny a benefit or advancement to the worker, and the person knows or ought reasonably to know that the solicitation or advance is unwelcome.

examples of sexual harassment

unwanted physical contact
unwanted attention
unwelcome demands for dates
leering
inappropriate staring
displays of sexually offensive images or graffiti
repeated and vulgar sexual comments
distribution of pornographic material
inappropriate gender-related comments
unwelcome remarks about a person's appearance
solicitation of sexual favours
demands for sexual favours
implied or express promise of reward or benefit in return for sexual favours,
implied or express threat or act of reprisal if sexual favours are denied.

both women and men may experience sexual harassment in employment. however, women tend to be more vulnerable to it because they often hold lower-paying, lower-authority and lower-status jobs compared to men. at the same time, even women in positions of authority may experience sexual harassment.

extra reading material

ontario human rights commission: sexual harassment in employment (fact sheet)

frequency of harassment

the harassment action/s may happen once or many times during its duration. for example, a single instance of unwelcome sexual solicitation or advancement/s from an employee may constitute sexual workplace harassment.

what is not considered harassment?

when an individual or organization expresses constructive feedback, guidance, or advice about work-related behaviour is not considered to be harassment as long as there is a good basis for these preventive measures.

a reasonable action taken by an employer or supervisor relating to management and direction of worker/s is not considered workplace harassment. a reasonable action would be part of the employer and supervisor’s normal work function and could include changes in work assignment, scheduling, job assessment and evaluation, inspections, implementation of health and safety, and disciplinary action/s. these actions are considered workplace harassment only when the actions are not exercised reasonably and fairly.

expressing differences of opinion is not considered harassment as long as the opinions are aligned with the ontario human rights code.

duties of a supervisor regarding workplace harassment

as we know that every supervisor is a worker before being a supervisor, supervisors must understand the duties and responsibilities of workers regarding workplace harassment in ontario.

under ohsa, for workplace harassment, workers should:

know how to report incidents of workplace harassment to the employer or supervisor
know how to report incidents of workplace harassment where the employer or supervisor is the alleged harasser
know how the employer will investigate and deal with incidents or complaints of workplace harassment
know how information about an incident or complaint of workplace harassment will be kept confidential unless disclosure is necessary for investigating or taking corrective action, or is otherwise required by law
know that the results of an investigation and any corrective actions will be provided to the worker who alleged workplace harassment and to the alleged harasser (if the alleged harasser is a worker of the same employer).

the supervisors should ensure that every worker is familiar with the above duties regarding workplace harassment. supervisors should not participate in harassment and bullying and are required by law to report every incidence of harassment that may turn into violence in the workplace.

supervisors are a representation of an organization. the supervisors need to understand and be familiar with the specific duties of employers regarding workplace harassment.

under the ohsa, employers should ensure that:

an investigation is conducted into incidents and complaints of workplace harassment that is appropriate in the circumstances
the worker who was allegedly harassed, and the alleged harasser (if he or she is also a worker of the employer), are informed in writing of the results of a workplace harassment investigation and of any corrective action that has been or that will be taken because of the investigation
they review the workplace harassment program as often as necessary, but at least annually, to ensure that it adequately implements the workplace harassment policy

further reading part iii.0.i: workplace violence and workplace harassment in ontario.

阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 policies regarding workplace harassment

all supervisors, both academic and staff, shall seek to create an environment free of harassment and discrimination within their area of responsibility. supervisors will not condone or ignore activities within their areas of responsibility that violate the rights of 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 , faculty or staff. supervisors are expected to make those for whom they have responsibility aware that any form of harassment and discrimination is prohibited; and to ensure that any complaints will be attended to promptly and effectively.

for a detailed understanding of 阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 policy guidelines, educational initiatives, and procedures (formal and informal processes) regarding workplace harassment please visit harassment and discrimination policy and procedures of 阿根廷vs墨西哥竞猜 .